Mop.



0. 0. ROGERS. I

MOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. I916- 1,206,595 v Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L OBVILLE DOUGLASS ROGERS, OF SHOALS, INDIANA.

'MOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed April 24, 1916. Serial No. 93,184. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE .D. Rooms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shoals, in the county of Martin and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in means for detachably connecting tool heads to a holder and more particularly to attaching means for scrubbing brush or mop head holders.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for detachably connecting a brush, mop, or other tool head to a mop stick or holder so that whenin operative position a substantially rigid oint will be formed between the two members and yet permit them to be quickly and easily separated when desired.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings: Figurel is a side elevation of a mop holder showing this invention applied, with the handle broken off; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 5; Fig. 3 1s a perspective view of the head taken from the bottom Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the connector detached; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view ofthe holder shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the handle broken off; Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a similar view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is an end view showing the application of this improved connector to a brush.

In the embodiment illustrated this invention is shown applied to a mop and comprises a connecting strip 1 of a length and width corresponding to the head 10 of the holder to which it is to .be'attached. 'This strip 1 is constructed of wood or other suitable material and has its front face oredge 2 beveled throughout its length being inclined inwardly from its upper toward its lower face, its rear face being shown disposed at right angles to both its upper and lower faces. The inner rear edge of this strip 1 is cut away at its opposite ends as shown at 3 and 4 to facilitate the connection of the strip with and its disconnection from the head 10 as will'be presently described.

Locking elements 5 preferably in the form of pins project laterally from the rear edge of the strip 1 near its opposite ends and are des gned to enter and cooperate with slotted arms 11 carried by the head 10 to assist in connecting the strip to said head 10. This strip 1 is provided in itsrear edge or face intermediately of its ends preferably midway thereof with a recess 6 which is designed to receive a head 16 on a locking rod 15 carried by the handle H as will be hereinafter more fully described and whereby said strip is locked against longitudinal movement.

Antiscratching members or bumpers 7 composed of any suitable material prefer-- ably rubber cover the ends of the strip 1 to prevent injury to the wash-boards or other objects with which it may come in contact. The cloth engaging face of this strip 1 has secured thereto a Zig-zag strip 8 preferably of rubber which extends from end to end of the member 1 and is here shown in the form of a plurality of integrally connected V- shaped elements 9 which extend transversely of the strip 1 with their apices 9 projecting beyond the edges of said strip 1 to provide a protection for the floor by preventing contact of the edges of the strip 1 therewith should the mop be tilted when in use. This strip 8 is preferably made concaved in cross section to provide biting ribs 9 along its opposite edges on its outer face so that the cloth engaged by said mop head will be securely clamped between the strip 1 and the 95 floor.

The head 10 with which the connector 1 is designed to be detachably engaged and which is carried by the handle H comprises a substantially rectangular bar to the outer or upper face of which the handle H is secured and disposed preferably at an oblique angle thereto in the ordinary manner of devices of this character. As shown this head 10 has a lateral extension 12 at its rear edge midway the length of the head and with which braces 13 are engaged, said braces being shown formed of metal rods with one end thereof bent laterally and extended'into the handle H and held in operative engagement with the side thereof by staples 1 1. The free ends of the braces 13 are embedded in the head 10 and serve to securely brace the head and prevent its working loose on the handle.

The connector locking rod 15 hereinbefore referred to is connected at one end to the lower face of the handle H. at a point spaced from the head 10 being here shown provided with a lateral extension or finger 17 at its rear end which is shown mounted in a staple or loop 18 opening transversely of the handle and the body of the rod adjacent said finger extends through two longitudinally spaced loops l9 and 19 opening longitudinally of the handle whereby the rod is held in close engagement with the handle forming a fulcrum for said handle at this end. The rod 15 has a finger loop 15 formed therein near the head carrying end thereof and which is designed for moving the rod 15 away from the handle to release the connector strip 1 as will be hereinafter more fully described. The other end of this rod 15 which carries the head 16 projects beyond. the inner end of the handle H and is disposed in a seat 20 a. formed in the rear edge of said head, the

head projecting beyond the seat and being designed to enter the recess 6 in the rear edge of the connector strip 1 when in assembled position thereby locking said strip against 4 longitudinal movement relatively to said head. A guide loop 21 depends from the lower face of the handle H at its inner end and is arranged in longitudinal alinement with the loop 19 to form a guide for the rod 15 adjacent its headed end to prevent its lateral displacement. This loop 21 is of a length sufficient to permit the rod 15 to move toward and away from the handle H a sufficient distance for engaging or disengaging it from the members 1 and 10 whereby the connecting strip 1 is locked or released at the will of the operator.

Secured to the opposite ends of the head 10 on its lower face are strip receiving and holding plates 22 both of which are exactly alike and hence one only will be described in detail. Each of these plates 22 is provided on its opposite side edges with flanges 23 and 24 which extend in the same direction, flange 24 being arranged at right angles to the body of the plate and flange 23 at an acute angle to form an undercut clamping member for engagement with the front edge of the strip 1 as is shown clearly in Fig. 7. The

flange 23 which is arranged at the front edge of the head 10 has a tongue 25 struck out therefrom intermediately of its ends by slitting said flange transversely and said tongue is bent laterally at right angles to the plate 22 in a direction opposite to the flange from which it is struck to form an attaching member to assist in securing the plate to the head. This tongue has an aperture therein through which a screw 26 passes and enters the head 10. The flange 24 at the rear edge of the plate 22 has an attaching tongue 27 formed at one end by slitting said flange transversely and bending the tongue 27 so formed at right angles in a direction opposite to the flange 24-, said tongue serving as an attaching element for connecting the plate to the rear edge of the head by means of a screw which passes through an aperture in said tongue into engagement with the head. This flange 24: has an open slot 28 extending inwardly from the end opposite the tongue carrying end preferably midway the width thereof and which is designed to receive and interlockingly engage with one of the pins 5 carried by the connector 1 to assist in holding the connector in reliable engagement with the head. While these plates 22 are exactly alike in construction they are differently mounted on the head 10, that is the plate at one end of the head is disposed with the slot 28 thereof extending outwardly toward the terminal of the head while the plate at the opposite end has the slot arranged at the inner end of the plate and opening toward the handle instead of away from it as-is the case with the other plate. This arrangement of the plates is employed to provide for the sliding movement of the connector strip 1 in one direction when engaged with said head and to lock it against movement when moved in the opposite direc tion as will be now described.

In connecting the strip 1 with the head 10 the beveled edge thereof is first placed under the flanges 23 at the front edge of the head and the cut-away rear edges of said strip permit it then to pass between the flanges 23 and 2 1 of the attaching plates and after it has been so disposed it is moved longitudinally in a direction to cause the pins 5 of said strip to enter and interlockingly engage the slots 28 in the flanges 24: of the plates 22. When the strip has been so positioned with the pins at the extreme limit of their inward movement the recess 6 of said strip will be positioned opposite the head 16 of the locking rod 15 and in register with the seat formed in the head 10. The rod 15 is then moved inwardly to cause the head 16 thereof to enter the recess 6 in strip 1 and the seat in the head 10 whereby the connector and head are reliably held in engaged position and cannot be separated until the locking rod 15 is forcibly moved out of engagement with the seats in said connector and head with which it is engaged.

When it is desired to disconnect the strip 1 from the head 10 all that is necessary is to grasp the finger loop 15 and forcibly move the rod away from the handle H until the head 16 of said rod passes out of the re cess 6 in the strip 1. Said strip may then be moved longitudinally in one direction until the pins 5 thereof pass out of the slots 28 in the flanges 24 and said strip may then be lifted out of engagement with the plates owing to the positioning of the cut-away portions of the rear edges of said strip relatively to the locking flanges of the plates.

While this device is shown as applicable to a mop, it is to be understood that it may be readily connected with any other tool head, the strip 1 serving as a connector between the head 10 of the handle member and the tool head to which it is designed to secure said handle, the strip being secured to said tool head by screws or bolts before it is engaged with the head 10.

In Fig. 9 the connector 1 is shown connecting a brush B to the holder 10, the handle being omitted. This connector strip 1 is secured to the brush head by screws 30.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a head, a connector, a slot and pin connection between said connector and head, said connector being slidable for engagement and disengagement relatively to said head, said head and connector having recesses positioned to register with each other when the connector is in operative position, and a locking element for insertion in said recesses to hold said members against relative movement.

2-. In a device of the class described, the combination of a head, a connector, a slot and pin connection between said connector and head, said connector being slidable for engagement and disengagement relatively to said head, said head and connector having recesses positioned to register with each other when the connector is in operative position, a handle carried by said head, and a laterally movable locking rod mounted on said handle and having a head positioned to enter the recesses in said connector and first mentioned head for locking said members together.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a head, plates secured thereto and having flanges projecting forwardly from the opposed side edges thereof, one of the flanges of each plate having a longitudinally extending open slot, the slot of one plate opening in the same direction as that of the other plate, and a connector bar of a width to fit between the flanges of said plates and provided with projections on one edge for interlocking engagement with said slots, said bar being slidable longitudinally relative to said head, and means for locking said bar against sliding movement.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a head, plates secured thereto and having flanges projecting forwardly from the opposed side edges thereof, one of the flanges of each plate having a longitudidinally extending open slot, and the other being inclined inwardly, the slot of one plate opening in the same direction. as that of the other plate, and a connector bar fitting between the flanges of said plates and having one edge beveled to fit under the inclined flanges of said plates, pins extending laterally from the other edge of said bar for interlocking engagement with said slotted plate flanges, and means for locking said bar in operative position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a head, plates secured thereto and having flanges projecting forwardly from the opposed side edges thereof, one of the flanges of each plate having a longitudi nally extending open slot, the slot of one plate opening in the same direction as that of the other plate, both flanges of each plate each having a tongue cut out therefrom and bent in an opposite direction to its flange and apertured to receive a fastening element, a connector bar fitting between the flanges of said plates, cooperating interengaging elements carried by said bar and plates, and means for locking said bar in operative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

ORVILLE DOUGLASS ROGERS.

Witnesses:

EDGAR WITGHER, CECIL PEEK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

